And now I am making my kids fat

Children whose mothers work part-time are less likely to be overweight than children whose moms are in full-time work or not in the workforce, according to new Australian research.
The study looked at the impact of mothers’ hours of paid work on children’s lifestyle and weight at ages 4-5 years and 6-7 years, using data from [...]

Applying for a job? Try to get in within 24 hours

MomstoWork’s career coach Aunt Jobby got this question:

Dear Aunt Jobby
How quickly should I apply for jobs? It often takes me a week or so to redraft my resume, cover letter and get the supporting documents together. Is that too slow? Gimme a break, I am a working mom with too many kids …
Sleepless (and [...]

Turn a clunker job application into a shiny job search vehicle

Should a mom going back to work or changing jobs  spend as much time fine-tuning and rewriting a resume to suit the job’s qualifications as writing the cover letter?
Yes, says Melanie Chin, a recruiting director with Trilogy Technical Services.
“One of the most important elements to job hunting is making sure that your resume and cover [...]

Buy a stamp, get a job?

Here’s a gob smacking, wake ‘em up, bring recruiters-back-from-the-dead job application … enough to get the weariest, most cynical employer to take a look.
The incredible job application, written in the style of a press release, was sent by mail to GasPedal.com, the word of mouth marketing company headed by the very clever Andy Sernovitz, who [...]

Does being a mom count in a resume? 3 ways to make it work

Returning to work?
Has that time spent looking after your kids done anything for your resume other than date it or cover it in spit up?
To find out, we asked the author of a new book, Unlocking the Door to Your Career, Catherine Palmiere.
1) JP: What is the most important thing to emphasize if you have [...]

Nursing: Through rain, spiders and toilets

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve pumped? Some new moms resort to pumping in the toilet, the car, the boss’ office, the changing rooms at the Gap when they return to work after maternity leave or FMLA.
In the third and last post of this series on  preparing for maternity leave, guest blogger Liz O’Donnell talks about [...]

How to be an effective helicopter parent

Pity! You can’t accompany your kids to an interview or answer an interviewer’s questions, but you can help them in other practical ways when they start job hunting.
It is a fact of life that kids are staying in the family home longer, often while they hunt for their first jobs.
In this guest post, expert Heather [...]

Banking good will, nearly as important as banking milk

In part two of her three part series on preparing for maternity leave,  guest blogger Liz O’ Donnell talks about how to prepare yourself for the harsh realities of life with a baby. As professional as you are, there will be times when new mothers will have to leave the office early or miss a [...]

4 ways to create a stand-out cover letter

You have a stellar resume; you are qualified for the job; and the time is right for a change. You know if you could just get your foot in the door, you might have a chance at beating out your competition. The big word here is “if”, especially in this tough job market.

Is 10 weeks of summer vacation too long?

Do you love the long summer vacation or worry about your kids being out of school so long that their brains will turn to fuzz?
Please take our poll:

When you are finished, check out some of these articles, including Maria Shriver saying summer vacation is the most stressful time of year.